Some thoughts on Rotary

This is a good time for me to think about Rotary. Tonight is the annual banquet where administrations are change, from the previous year to the new, which actually begins July 1. I am the incoming secretary of The Laredo Rotary Club.

I served two years before as secretary. Then I was out of the club for a couple of years adjusting to retired life and to some health difficulties that I was encountering. Joining back up about six months ago, the incoming president asked me if I would be his secretary for the coming year. I accepted. So, here I am about to be inducted to a year of keeping record and doing what I can as secretary to bolster the club.

The Laredo Rotary Club was chartered May 1, 1920 in Laredo. Rotary had its beginning in Chicago, Illinois in 1905, first off by three businessmen who just wanted to meet together. They rotated their meetings between their offices. That is where the name came from, from rotating to Rotary. Today, Rotary International is all over the world doing things to help people, following its motto Service above Self. That is what The Laredo Rotary Club is about - helping people.

Our club has been doing good things locally since its beginning. Thus, it is a good organization to be in, if one wants to help people. I like it because it is a way that I can help fulfill my objectives in Christianity. Christianity is about helping people, too. I call the club kinda like church, though I know it is not, but for me, it is.

So our club, with our new administration will push off tonight to keep the flame burning as best we can. Our president, Jim Williams, has a lot of expectations. The rest of us will try to make those expectation come to fruition.

Oh, there is another reason I like Rotary. I like the Four Way Test that each of repeats at each weekly meeting: Of the things we think, say or do, FIRST, is it the truth? SECOND, is it fair to all concerned? THIRD, will it build good will and better friendships? and FOURTH, will it be beneficial to all concerned? This was adopted in 1943 by Rotary International as a process to promote better ethics in dealing with mankind. Again, seems like church to me.

So, off we go for the 2009-2010 Rotary year in Laredo, Texas. I wish us well.